|
Written by Austin Mitchell
|
|
19 March 2007 |
|
Tony`s triumphs are turning tatty, Trident renewal is tattiest of all. I voted against the Government on the Trickett amendment saying what`s the rush?
Blair committed himself to further votes before contracts are placed and argued that the purpose of this early, daft, vote was to keep the design team together. I abstained. It`s barmy politics to force the PLP to jump through unnecessary hoops to prove Tony`s virility and leave a legacy no-one particularly wants.
All fifteen Whips were out persuading hard. They succeeded in keeping the rebellion below a hundred but none of them had any explanation of why it was necessary in the first place.
It all adds to a growing impatience and bemusement which sours rather than solidifies the legacy.
Surprise, surprise! The Lords have voted to stay as they are ermined, titled and C.O.D. This stymies the House of Straw both ways.
Less than a total clear-out of lifers won`t be acceptable to the Commons. No elective element at all will be acceptable to the Lords. Either way it`s now impossible to persuade oldie MPs to take a short shelf life title to offer their seat to child geniuses. Jack`s led us into a major mess with the titled Tar Babies.
The Public Accounts Committee this week looked at Academy Schools. These are an expensive leap in the dark because we`ve embarked on a project for 400 (costing £20 million plus each) without any proof that they improve performance.
The performance improvement reported is marginal. No more than the Hawthorne effect (any change stimulates) which would have benefited any new school, state or private.
Nothing at all was claimed for all the bright ideas about God, evolution, education, discipline, business or culture, anal neuroticism and traditional education which sponsors were supposed to bring to their academies.
Perhaps the drive will peter out in the same way as the Tory push for City Technology Colleges. Now there`s less prospect of peerage for five academies or more.
***
The Ivy Benson All Women Team at Communities and Local Government is getting down and dirty.
Ruth Kelly proposes to pass legislation to overrule the courts if they decide against Lambeth`s efforts to impose an ALMO without proper consultation.
Yvette Cooper is ready to accept any ballot fiddle which smuggles a transfer through.
Now they`ve allowed their Housing renewal Partnerships to buy space in the Guardian to sing their own praises and lobby for more money from the Chancellor on the grounds that without it their efforts to destroy 57,000 houses and winkle out owners at £35,000 a house less than the fair price will “stutter”. It must be pretty desperate times at DCLG. |
